‘AND’ as a Narrative Tool in Wilde’s “The Happy Prince”

Abstract

Oscar Wilde’s fairy tales belong to the genre of the literary fairy tale. These tales are equally popular among both the adults and children. Their timeless appeal for readers of all ages depends upon their structural and thematic proximity with oral narratives. Wilde has employed various devices to align his tales to oral fairy tales. One such devise is the skilful use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ in his tales. This paper is an attempt to examine the manner in which he has exploited this grammatical devise and assess the ways in which he has achieved the desired effect.